Xbox One Will Activate Your TV's Game Mode Automatically

By
Matthew HumphriesMarch 12, 2018, 3:30 p.m.

The automatic switch to low latency mode will come as part of an Xbox update later this year.

The televisions we use today usually come with a number of different modes that introduce post processing to improve image quality. They can make a real difference when watching TV shows or movies, but for games, you want to turn that off. Soon, the Xbox One will start doing that automatically.

The Xbox Engineering team has been working on the feature, which is called Auto Low Latency Mode, and it will work with any "supported TV." All we know for now is a selection of Samsung TVs that include a low latency mode will be detected by the Xbox One and automatically switch to it.

Low latency mode is more typically called Game Mode on TVs and it's quite common so hopefully support will be widespread. By introducing this feature, Microsoft is removing a pain point for anyone who uses their TV for gaming and watching movies. Currently the mode switch must be done manually using your remote and it's easy to forget to switch. That won't be a problem anymore.

Microsoft also announced that both the Xbox One S and Xbox One X will support variable refresh rate on AMD Radeon FreeSync displays. It means you won't see any image tears or stuttering because the refresh rate of the TV and console are synchronized.

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With these new features being introduced, it looks like the best Xbox gaming experience will be had on a FreeSync display that also includes a low latency mode the console can automatically detect and change to. It also sounds like a feature Sony would do well to copy for the PS4 and PS4 Pro.

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About the Author

Matthew is PCMag's UK-based editor and news reporter. Prior to joining the team, he spent 14 years writing and editing content on our sister site Geek.com and has covered most areas of technology, but is especially passionate about games tech. Alongside PCMag, he's a freelance video game designer. Matthew holds a BSc degree in Computer Science from Birmingham University and a Masters in Computer Games Development from Abertay University. See Full Bio